Call for calm as loyalist marchers gather for July 12
Tens of thousands of Orangemen will parade in the North as the loyalist marching season reached its July 12 height today.
There were calls from politicians on all sides for calm, with both paraders and protesters urged to behave.
The parades are taking place at 18 main venues across the North in all six counties marking the 316th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.
Hundreds of “11th Night” bonfires were lit in loyalist areas last night - the traditional prelude to the parades.
Tensions are at their lowest level in recent memory after a series of flashpoint parades in recent weeks passed off largely peacefully.
There has been none of the sabre rattling of past years and politicians united to call for an incident-free bank holiday.
But police were anxious to ensure that contentious parades in North Belfast and in the County Antrim village of Dunloy did not spark trouble.
South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell, deputy leader of the nationalist SDLP, appealed to all concerned to ensure that all aspects of the Twelfth were peaceful.
He said: “We cannot brush aside all the problems that are associated with the Twelfth, nor should we. What we can do is ensure that no-one attempts to deal with these problems by means of stones and bottles, or worse. We must insist on dialogue from all sides.
“People should stay away from the obvious flashpoints. Parades Commission determinations should be respected. Protesters should be calm and dignified and properly marshalled.
“Parade organisers should accept responsibility for camp followers.”
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams also appealed for calm and said republicans would do all in their power to ensure the coming days passed peacefully.
“I would once again appeal to people over the coming days, in spite of provocation and in spite of the continued insistence of the Orange Order to march in areas where they are clearly not welcome, to remain calm,” he said.
MP Mr Adams said it was not the sole responsibility of republicans to provide the calm and the British government and the police service also had a big responsibility.
“The Orange Order and unionist political leaders must play their part in ensuring that the violence traditionally associated with the Twelfth parades is averted this year,” he added.
His party colleague, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew, called for the ending of July 12 as an official public holiday.
Branding it “an outdated legacy of the failed politics of the past“, she called for the harmonisation of bank and public holidays across the island of Ireland.
If people wanted to attend Orange parades, they should book time off work like anyone else wanting to attend an event, she said.
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said he had called for the parading issue to be raised up the political agenda and that was now happening.
The MLA said that, as the North moved towards a period of intense political activity in the autumn, he hoped parading could be accepted as a part of the community’s cultural expression.
